Keepingitreal

Tyler Perry's Secret to Success

He makes movies for audiences everyone else ignores. Two weeks ago in Boston, a line formed outside a movie theater. The men and women in the line were waiting patiently. Many of them were well-dressed—a little bit churchy, a little bit board meeting. They were all black. (In Chicago, you don't notice. In Boston, you do.) I had come to the theater to see a press screening of the new Farrelly brothers movie, The Heartbreak Kid, but I knew that's not what this crowd was waiting to see. They were waiting for a sneak preview of Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?, the director's new romantic dramedy featuring, among a lot of other people, Janet Jackson. That night, I would have happily traded places with someone in that line. Perry is a playwright, movie director, author, and occasional cross-dresser. He is also a bona fide star. But if a film critic is going to follow him, he has to do it as a fan. Lions Gate, the studio that releases his films, hasn't screened any of his last three movies for the press, since critics trounced his Diary of Mad Black Woman three years ago. Lionsgate is happy to promote his films among black moviegoers, but they don't invite critics, and they don't really have to. Why Did I Get Married? was the No. 1 movie in America last week. Plus, Lionsgate doesn't screen a lot of the movies it distributes, in particular the horror films it churns out. But any studio shameless enough to treat reviewers to Good Luck Chuck, a horror film masquerading as a comedy, should have no problem showing them an easy crowd-pleaser like Why Did I Get Married?  Then again, I don't mind paying to see a Tyler Perry movie with a Tyler Perry audience. Hell, that's half the fun: hearing a partisan crowd crack up, break down, suck its teeth, scream at the abusers, tsk-tsk the nincompoops, and, inevitably, go awww. (As the New York Times noted—twice—last weekend, Perry's fans love talking back to his movies.) But keeping Perry away from the press reinforces the notion among critics that he doesn't matter. Most major critics have committed more thought to the Saw and Hostel movies than to his. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Who Owns the Arctic?

The New York Times reported Friday that the U.S. Coast Guard is planning to establish its first Arctic base at an outpost in Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost point on the U.S. mainland. The announcement comes less than three months after a spat between Canada and Russia over control of Arctic waters. Norway, Iceland, and Denmark (through its province, Greenland) also voice claims on parts of the Arctic Ocean, particularly as thawing ice opens up previously inaccessible waterways and natural resources. So, who owns the Arctic? No one owns the North Pole, but every country with a border on the Arctic Ocean claims some of its waters. Because the North Pole is covered by an ice shelf and isn't actually land, it is governed by the Law of the Sea, a 1982 U.N. treaty signed by more than 150 countries. The agreement gives each nation control of the area up to 200 nautical miles (230 miles) off its coast, so everyone with so much as a shoreline in the Arctic gets some Arctic waters and whatever natural resources might lie beneath them. This seemingly straightforward rule is complicated by another regulation that allows countries to extend their waters to up to 350 nautical miles (403 miles) if they can prove their underwater continental shelf extends beyond the normal 200-mile boundary. In other words, we don't fully know who owns the Arctic until we know the shape of the underlying seabed. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

RAP SHEET: Even In Death, Tupac Can't Get No Peace

Recently, it was found under "The White Tree" in Jena, Louisiana, and caused a national outcry.And then it sent the Ivy League campus of Columbia University into a frenzy.And now, the noose – a longtime symbol of racial hatred – has been found around Tupac's neck.The Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia was vandalized on two separate occasions this past weekend, and one man has been arrested in connection with the acts, according to published reports.During the early morning hours on Saturday, vandals defaced the building and tied a noose around the neck of the Bronze statue of the slain hip-hop icon that sits in the Center's Peace Garden.And then on Monday morning, the statue was once again vandalized when fliers bearing "garbled rants" about 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina were plastered all over it.The fliers were also said to contain vague threats directed at certain rappers and record companies.One unidentified man is in police custody, and the Dekalb County Sheriff's office is investigating both acts as hate crimes.What in the world is going on? Shakur has been deceased since September 1996.Yet still he is a symbol of greatness for many of the hip-hop generation."We thank everyone for their prayers and support," Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur said in a statement. "Although our hearts are temporarily in pain, our spirits have already forgiven the perpetrators.""Hate comes in all colors and genders therefore we will use this act of hate and ignorance to bring our community together and to pray for the healing of those who harbor such feelings," she continued. "With God's guidance, the work of the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts and Peace Garden will continue to positively impact and transform our community."According to a spokesperson, The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation is now in the process of raising money to construct a fence around the parameters of the Center to prevent these types of incidents from occurring again. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Stocks Up After New Home Sales Rise

NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks turned higher Thursday after a surprise gain in new home sales eased some of Wall Street's concerns about the housing sector. The Commerce Department said sales of new homes rose 4.8 percent in September from August's levels, a pleaant surprise for a market that had a decline. The data was particularly reassuring after a drop in existing home sales sent stocks tumbling early in the previous session. The department's report earlier in the morning on orders of big-ticket items was less upbeat. Durable goods orders fell 1.7 percent in September, worse than the uptick economists had anticipated after August's significant 5.3 percent drop. Meanwhile, the Labor Department said claims for unemployment dipped last week by a smaller number than economists predicted. From the market's perspective, the bright side to the weaker reports is that they could compel the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates again to boost spending. The central bank, which reduced rates last month by a half-percentage-point, is scheduled to meet next week to decide on monetary policy. And meanwhile, most corporate earnings showed respectable growth Thursday. Motorola Inc. managed in the third quarter to post its first quarterly profit this year. The cell phone maker's earnings expectations for the fourth quarter were higher than forecasts, and shares rose 74 cents, or 4 percent, to $19.29. In mid-morning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 30.81, or 0.23 percent, to 13,706.06, recovering from an earlier loss. Broader stock indicators also turned higher. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 3.77, or 0.25 percent, to 1,519.65, while the Nasdaq composite index rose 4.58, or 0.17 percent, to 2,779.34. Bonds fell after the positive home sales report. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose to 4.36 percent from 4.35 percent late Wednesday. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Denzel Covers Men's Vogue

Denzel Washington is featured on the cover of the November issue of Men's Vogue and talks Malcolm X to Training Day to American Gangster. "I like seeing other people do well. I think that's why I coach and work with kids," he says. "Maybe it's because of where I am at this point in my life. 'Cause I'm straight, I'm cool. Coming from the theater, I never thought I would be where I am. I never wanted it."
Read the full article at MensVogue.com

South Africa Recalls Millions of Condoms

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) — South Africa is recalling millions of locally manufactured condoms after tens of thousands failed an air burst test, dealing a further blow to the country's campaign to prevent the spread of AIDS. The Health Ministry said Tuesday the recall involves condoms distributed free by the government. It follows a scandal in which the South African company Zalatex was found to have bribed an official of the South African Bureau of Standards to approve defective condoms. After the scandal broke in August, the government ordered 20 million condoms to be recalled or held at the factory. Only 12 million have been recovered. Controversy about the country's AIDS policy has raged for years, with critics accusing the government of doing too little to slow the epidemic. South Africa has 5.5 million AIDS victims — the highest number in the world — with 900 people dying per day. The recalls also have raised questions about the competence of the Bureau of Standards, which is supposed to ensure that condoms are up to World Health Organization standards. The latest recall came after at least five batches of condoms made by the South African company Kohrs Medical Supplies failed the air burst test, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Condoms supplied by two other companies passed the test, the ministry said. "We appeal to the public and all partners involved in the distribution and promotion of the use of condoms to assist with the recall," the statement said. The ministry said it was canceling its contract with Kohrs, which was to supply the government with nearly 64 million condoms. The Zalatex contract was canceled in August. The government had contracted seven companies to supply 425 million condoms in the year ending in February. Source: AP

CAN YOU GIVE ME….

A 12 month duplicated head count, was the way my conversation started with the Bureau of Justice Statistics, when I started this project.“That data is just not available” was the response, and lead me to lend a lot more credibility to a young man who had been involved in the Criminal Justice System and explained to me a story, hich at first I had trouble believing.how the prison head count worked, I immediately was reminded of the conspiracy theory from the Kennedy assassination to the World Trade Towers, but I heard the brother out. His proposal, the count your government gives you is way inflated. He told me that as he was moved from one institution to another, for accounting purposes and of course funding, each system counted him over again and that you can never get a number from the BJS that does not include multiple counting of prisoners as they move from jail, to prison, to prison, to prison to even paroled supervision. “You need to bring this to light in your next film” Also I decided to do some digging, even though I was extremely skeptical of what this brother was saying, however after one phone call, believe it or not, the BJS could not provide me, in technical terms, a 12 month non-duplicated head count for African American Males. I’m officially a conspiracy theorist now, and thank you AJ.My final point that I found extremely interesting is who is considered to be counted for Jail. Just take a look at who goes into making up these overwhelming numbers…Jail populations As defined in this report, jails are locally operated correctional facilities that confine persons before or after adjudication. Inmates sentenced to jail usually have a sentence of 1 year or less. Jails also receive individuals pending arraignment and hold them awaiting trial, conviction, or sentencing readmit probation, parole, and bail bond violators and absconders  temporarily detain juveniles pending  hold mentally ill persons pending their movement to appropriate mental health facilities  hold individuals for the military, for protective custody, for contempt, and for the courts as witnesses  release convicted inmates to the community upon completion of sentence  transfer inmates to Federal, State, or other authorities  house inmates for federal, State, or other authorities because of crowding of their facilities sometimes operate community based programs as alternatives to incarceration. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Fresh is the Word The Bay hosts its own Hip-Hop Honors week.

In the same week that Atlanta rapper T.I. got arrested on gun charges and Chicago emcee Lupe Fiasco allegedly dissed A Tribe Called Quest, three events happened in the Bay Area that suggest the culture isn't dissolving, it's evolving. Both incidents, which happened during VH-1's "Hip-Hop Honors" week in New York, seem dubious. Note to T.I.: Never trust a bodyguard who has the time to arrange the purchase of assault weapons behind your back, instead of watching your back. As for Lupe's fiasco, should it really surprise anybody that the "Kick, Push" guy, who grew up in the ghettos of Chicago, listened to N.W.A., not Tribe, as a youth? If anything, it's to his credit that he sounds more like Q-Tip than Ice Cube, given his background. As the Lupe/T.I. drama reverberated through the blogosphere, the Living Word Festival and the Hip-Hop Chess Federation's King Invitational were busy enriching young minds. You know hip-hop is serious when it takes over museums, as the Living Word Festival did recently when pioneering NYC MC Grandmaster Caz held court at SFMOMA, joined by Oakland's Ise Lyfe and author Jeff Chang. A much smaller crowd than the television audience who saw the VH-1 event got to hear Caz (ironically, sporting a "Hip-Hop Honors" jacket) explain the culture's continued relevance: "Hip-hop is free. The essence of hip-hop is free. You don't need a membership card, you don't need to be signed to a label, you don't need to be hot or nothing to participate." Caz broke down plenty of game about the early days of hip-hop. But still, he had to give kudos to Ise Lyfe, who came so real with his. At one point, Caz took off his dark shades and paid rapt attention to the youngster's story about rhyming for the first time at a postmortem cipher for Tupac during a seventh-grade rec-room dance. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Sem Grazi Massafera, Cauã Reymond lança filme

O ator Cauã Reymond, 26 anos, participou do lançamento do filme Ódiquê? na noite deste sábado no Rio de Janeiro sem a suposta namorada: a ex-big brother Grazi Massafera.

» Veja a foto ampliada!
» Veja mais fotos!
» Assista a trailers inéditos!

O ator levou a mãe, Denise Reymond, para a festa que reuniu elenco e produção na casa da autora de novelas Ana Maria Moretzsohn, na Barra da Tijuca. Estavam presentes Dudu Azevedo, Luiza Tomé, Christine Fernandes, Floriano Peixoto, Guilherme Berenguer, Roger Gobet e Juliana Silveira, entre outros. Ódiquê? tem estréia prevista para o dia 4 de maio no circuito Rio-São Paulo. O filme dirigido por Felipe Joffily foi rodado há oito anos e é resultado da parceria da família Moretzsohn: Ana Maria produziu e seu filho, Gustavo escreveu. A história é contada em apenas um dia e mostra jovens se envolvendo em um roubo e seqüestro em busca de conseguir dinheiro para passar o Carnaval na Bahia.Odiquê? foi vencedor de dois prêmios: Prêmio Oficial do Júri e Melhor Direção, ambos conquistados no Festival Internacional de Cinema Independente de Nova York. Em 2004, o longa foi exibido na mostra Première Brasil, no Festival do Rio. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Unrelenting fires char S. California, at least half a million flee

SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Relentless wildfires roared through Southern California for a third day Tuesday, sending more than half a million residents fleeing with family members, pets and whatever prize possessions they could fit in their vehicles. The blazes have charred 400,000 acres and reduced 1,300 homes -- 1,000 in San Diego County -- to ash. The fires have killed one person and injured more than 50. Earlier Tuesday, officials erroneously reported that a second person had died. Earlier Tuesday, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, said the number of evacuees "could very well approach 500,000 by the end of the day."By Tuesday night, officials had evacuated nearly 350,000 homes in San Diego County. Using U.S. Census Bureau numbers from the 2000 census, that could mean as many as 950,000 were affected by the fires.In San Diego County, at least 513,000 residents had been ordered to find refuge in shelters, schools and stadiums as fires pushed into new areas. Twelve thousand more people were advised but not ordered to evacuate. Watch a fire official describe "utter devastation" »

Len Burnett Departs Vibe To Re-Join Uptown Magazine

It was announced today that Len Burnett, Vice President, Group Publisher of Vibe Magazine has resigned from VIBE Media Group to focus on the expansion of UPTOWN Magazine. Burnett originally co-founded Uptown in 2004 with Brett Wright. Uptown is the leading lifestyle magazine targeted towards the affluent African American consumer. As Co-CEO, Burnett will oversee sales, marketing and the continued growth of Uptown’s integrated marketing strategy. The return of Burnett to UPTOWN comes on the heels of the magazines recent national distribution deal with Kable News Distribution and the launch of Uptown’s new web site http://www.uptownlife.net/ "This is a coming home for me, I am now able to focus my time and resources on what I believe is an underserved audience and with a title that has tremendous growth potential. We have created a unique advertising platform for our clients to reach this affluent audience. I’m excited about our future as we expand circulation, grow into additional local markets, and provide advertisers a 360 degree experience leveraging the magazine and our brand extensions", says Burnett. Burnett is one of the most respected and accomplished publishers in the magazine arena. He has held executive publishing positions at publications including Honey, Savoy and Heart & Soul. He is largely credited with growing VIBE into one of the most respected publications in the urban space. His return to UPTOWN marks a new period in the magazine’s continued growth. Brett Wright, Co Founder and Chief Creative Officer of UPTOWN Magazine states, "Len’s return will allow us to make good on our initial strategy via the aggregation of content and the development of intellectual properties that leverage the UPTOWN brand and deliver our advertisers’ products and services directly to affluent consumers.”SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Foxy Brown Placed In Solitary Confinement

The staff at the Rose M. Singer facility, however — where Brown has been jailed since August 22 before her sentencing— don't seem to be as patient. The rapper's manager, Chaz Williams of Blackhand Entertainment, confirmed to MTV News that Foxy has been ordered into solitary confinement, although he did not confirm some details that the New York Post reported on Wednesday (October 23). The paper said Foxy is set to remain in solitary for 76 days due to three separate infractions that occurred over the past 30 days, according to a source. The first of the three incidents that Brown is being disciplined for occurred October 3, according to the Post, when the rapper and another female inmate got into a scuffle that had to be broken up by prison officials. The next day, Brown was accused of verbally assaulting officials and refusing to take a mandatory drug test. (The infractions do not include her recent late arrival to a court date in Brooklyn. She allegedly refused to leave her cell until she'd changed into a different outfit and applied makeup, leading her to miss a bus scheduled to transport her to the courthouse. She then refused to leave the facility without eating lunch first.) The Department of Correction reviewed matters and placed the rapper in "punitive segregation." She is only permitted to leave for one hour each day to see visitors, meet with her attorney or partake in a limited number of recreation options. The other inmate involved in the fight was given 11 days of solitary confinement.
A call placed to the Department of Correction by MTV News did not confirm whether Foxy (real name: Inga Marchand) was placed in solitary confinement. Her lawyer, New York State Senator Jack Sampson, was unavailable at press time, according to a representative at his office. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Just Arrived: 12 Questions with Fonzworth Bentley

"Here and Now: African and African American Art and Film Conference

"Here and Now: African and African American Art and Film Conference focuses on contemporary expressions in art and cinema from multiple perspectives within the realm of African and African American visual culture. This four-day conference looks at how African and African American artists interpreted, documented, chronicled, and created images over the last twenty years. By re-examining visual history through the voices of artists, art historians, filmmakers, photographers, activists, editors, writers, collectors and gallerists, “Here and Now” encourages a diverse perspective of the imagery created in the 21st century. For more information and a schedule of events please visit: www.hereandnownyu.com The conference is free, but space is limited. To pre-register email: [email protected] or call 212-864-4500 x264. The conference is organized and hosted by the Tisch School of the Arts and the Institute for African American Affairs at New York University. Co-sponsored by the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Whitney Museum of American Art and the Friends of MOMA." Thursday, 15 November 2007, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

2007 ONE Campaign T-Shirt by EDUN

2007 ONE Campaign T-Shirt by EDUN

We are proud to announce that the 2007 ONE Campaign T-Shirts by EDUN have arrived and are ready for sale. The shirts are made in Lesotho, Africa, of 100% African cotton. Importantly, $10 of every purchase goes to the ALAFA (Apparel Lesotho Alliance for Africa) Fund, which provides life-saving AIDS treatment to Lesotho factory workers and their family members.

EDUN is a socially conscious clothing company launched by Ali Hewson, Bono and NY clothing designer Rogan Gregory. The company's mission is to create beautiful clothing while fostering sustainable employment in developing countries. MAKE YOUR DONATION TODAY!

D'WAYNE WIGGINGS WITH THE A'z

Vampire film "30 Days" crushes competition

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The new vampire thriller "30 Days of Night" sucked the life out of its box office rivals, opening at No. 1 with estimated weekend sales of $16 million, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday. Meanwhile, moviegoers ignored three new high-powered dramas hoping for awards-season recognition. The crime drama "Gone Baby Gone," marking the directing debut of Ben Affleck," opened at No. 5 with $6.0 million; the CIA suspense drama "Rendition," starring Reese Witherspoon, limped in at No. 9 with $4.2 million; and the domestic tragedy "Things We Lost in the Fire," starring Benicio Del Toro and Halle Berry, barely flickered at No. 15 with $1.6 million. Box office pundits said an onslaught of R-rated dramas in recent weeks had been too much for moviegoers to digest. Recent entries such as the terrorism thriller "The Kingdom," the period drama "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" and the legal saga "Michael Clayton" -- all boasting Oscar-winning talent -- have disappointed to various degrees."I think people are looking for froth," said a studio official who did not want to be identified. "How much reality do you want?"Light fare has ruled the box office in recent weeks. Incumbent champ "Why Did I Get Married?" slipped to No. 2 with $12.1 million. It had ended the two-week reign of "The Game Plan," which is now No. 3 with $8.1 million. Before that, the zombies of "Resident Evil: Extinction" were the top draw. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

THE REBIRTH OF ALICIA KEYS

LAPD Gentrifies Skid Row

For decades, a 50-block area in downtown Los Angeles known as Skid Row has been a hub for shelters and social services for homeless and extremely poor people, the majority of them Black. Now, amid rapid-fire gentrification of the downtown area, city leaders have implemented a police crackdown on Skid Row that has resulted in the harassment, arrest and displacement of thousands of poor people of color.The LAPD’s “Safer Cities Initiative,” launched on Skid Row last summer, is based on the “broken windows” theory of law enforcement, which holds that small signs of “disorder” (graffiti, broken windows, people hanging out on the sidewalk) invite more serious crimes to a neighborhood and should be eliminated. Critics of the theory note its historical use to justify law-enforcement crackdowns on members of marginalized communities—especially poor people of color—who are disproportionately targeted for petty crimes. “‘Broken windows’ gets couched in this almost-neutral language about ‘signs of disorder’,” says Kristian Williams, author of a history of modern U.S. policing called Our Enemies in Blue, “but the things that get counted as ‘signs of disorder’ tend to be signs of poverty. What the theory is doing is reading poverty as disorder and using those ‘signs of disorder’ as an excuse to bring additional police attention and additional sanctioning to areas where poor people live.” SOURCE OF THIS STORY

The Rise of the Ghetto-Fabulous Party

In January, students at Clemson University in South Carolina and a number of other institutions of higher learning opted to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day with what were called “ghetto-fabulous” parties at which white students dressed in blackface, drank 40s, wore fake teeth grills, flashed gang signs and, in some cases, padded their posteriors to conform to their stereotypes of the Black female body. A month later, white students at Santa Clara University in California threw a “Latino-themed” party, where young women feigned pregnancy, the young men played at being cholo and everyone reveled in the symbols and spectacle they associate with Mexican Americans. Although not a new phenomenon, it seems that over the last year “ghetto,” “gangsta,” “south of the border” and “taco and tequila” parties have become college chic and cool. Parties at more than a dozen colleges and universities received national coverage in the past year, with countless others going unnoticed save for the pictures posted to sundry websites. It is tempting to interpret such events as clichéd racist expressions. They are, after all, contemporary minstrel theaters that allow middle- and upper-class white Americans to cross moral and social boundaries by racial crossdressing. But such easy explanations keep us from fully appreciating the circumstances on today’s college campus that make minstrel parties pleasing and powerful for so many.“I think a fair amount of these kids are conscious that the parties they are having are offensive and are quite willing to play stupid or play the ‘double-standard’ card (like Imus) when pressed." SOURCE OF THIS STORY